Wilson: SQ 744 – Decision input needed

There has been much discussion about State Question 744 – the state question that proposes that Oklahoma spend the regional average of the per-pupil amount for common education.

The proponents suggest we will never properly fund common education if we don’t do something such as this. They may have a point: If the common education budget had increased at the same percentage as that of higher education in the eight years since the “fund education first initiative,” it would have an additional $600 million. If the $700 million in tax cuts from five years ago produced the unconditional increase in revenue as promised by proponents, there would be ample money to fund common education.

State Question 744 opponents almost universally agree that we have ignored common education funding over the years and we should do a better job of funding it – but not now and not in this way. They suggest we will be damaging other government services if it passes. They have not suggested postponing the next $120 million ($2.77 per month per person) in scheduled tax cuts, nor have they suggested a moratorium on some of the $1 billion in new tax cuts proposed every year.

For 30 years, we’ve been led to believe that government is the problem and those who believe it are the best leaders. We’ve ignored the role of government for which studies show a positive causal relationship between public investment and prosperity. We don’t do these studies in Oklahoma, but we can look at other states and regions for results.

Jeffrey Thompson, a research economist at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, published a study in August that looks at the available research on what works and doesn’t work to improve productivity and economic prosperity in six New England states. Among other things, he shows the most effective options for creating jobs are investing in infrastructure and work force skills. Tax cuts and business subsidies do little to create jobs in the short run and are not the most effective in the long run.

In particular, public spending on education has been found to raise gross state product, increase employment and raise incomes. For instance, reducing elementary class sizes from 25 to 15 students creates a net benefit to society of $66,000 for each student over a period of 20 years. Total jobs created by $1 million in education spending average 28. Total jobs created with each $1 million spent on early childhood education average 35. Infrastructure investment spending creates a minimum average of 13 jobs per $1 million invested and rivals education job creation when matching dollars are added.

It is fair to ask Gov. Brad Henry, Mary Fallin, Jari Askins and One Oklahoma Coalition to agree to a moratorium of any tax cut or tax credit until the goals of SQ 744 are achieved. The answer must be an unqualified “yes.” If not, we can assume “other critical services” are not the reason for opposition to SQ 744.

One comment

Thank you Sen. Wilson. It is about time someone take a look at what is going on and actually have the guts to tell it to the people. Education is not the pig glutting itself here, it is the only road to prosperity. We know it for our children- go to college and get a good job- but we have so much trouble accepting the same is true for our state. How sad. Thre are only three ways out of poverty-

education
luck
hard work

it takes any two of the above- at no point will only one of them suffice. I for one, refuse to count on good luck. For our state- for our future- education and hard work are our only hopes.

Have you seen the pumpkins of all shapes and sizes being unloaded and arranged at the Myriad Botanical Gardens? The Myriad Gardens Foundation is preparing for the sixth annual Pumpkinville, which will take place Oct. 6-22 at the park.